Grain weighing and registering apparatus



J. PEPPER.

(No Model.)

GRAIN WEIGHING AND REGISTERING APPARATUS. I

' No. 379,325. Patented Mar. 13, 1888. I

Inventor Witnesses Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn,

JAMES PEPPER, OF STAR CITY, INDIANA.

GRAIN WElGHlNG AND REGISTERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,325, dated March13, 1888.

Application filed November 30, 1887 Serial No. 256,498. (No inodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, J AMES PEPPER, of Star City, Pulaski county,Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Grain-Weighing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to a device for weigh ing and tallying grain asit flows fromathrashing-machine. In this apparatus the grain flows intoa measuring-vessel-as an ordinary halfbusheland when the-proper weightof grain has reached the vessel the flowing stream is cut off andshifted to a second vessel, each measure being carried away and emptiedas fast as filled, the number of measures thus removed being tallied bya suitable register.

My improvements will be readily understood from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,which isa perspective view of a device illustrating my invention.

In the drawing, A represents a horizontallypivoted frame whose pivotsare supported in suitable standards, this frame constituting ascale-beam; B, a scale-pan hung on pivots in one end of the scale-beam,the pan to be of a size adapted to receive the measuring-vessel which isto be used-in most cases an ordinary half-bushel measure; 0, theopposite scale-pan; D, a trough extending from end to end of thescale-beam, this trough appearing in the drawing as being open at itstop, but in practice to be provided with a protecting-cover; E, ballsdisposed in and adapted to roll freely in the trough, these balls beingof definite weight, as hereinafter indicated, and constituting virtuallythe scale-weights; F, the dischargespout leading to the apparatus, thisspout to be in practice the ordinary grain-outlet spout of athrashing-machine, it being understood that the spout is simply anordinary inclined single-way conduit down which the grain may flow; G, apartition-block at the mouth of the spout,dividing the mouth of thespout into two separate outlets; H, one of these outlets in a positionadapted to discharge grain into a measuringvessel placed in thescale-pan, B; J, the other outlet of the spout, adapted to properlydischarge grain into the measuringvessel placed inthe scale-pan .O; K, avalve pivoted in the spout above the partition-block G and fitted toturn sidewise in either direction and cut off the appropriateoutlet, Hor J, from communication with the spout F; L, a cut-off plate pivoted atthe lower end of the spout and adapted to tip in either direction andclose alternately the outlets H or J; M, cords or analogous connectionsreaching from the valve K and attached at the ends of the scale-beam,these cords being so arranged that when the scale-beam is tipped in onedirection the valve K will close at one side and cut off I one of thespout-outlets, and when the scalebeam is tipped in the other directionthe valve will open the outlet which has been closed and move to theother side and close the outlet which has been open; N, similar cords orconnections attached at the ends of the scale-beam and to the pivotedcut-off L, these cords being so arranged that when the scale-beam tipsand begins to pull the valve K to one side the cut off L quickly closesthespout-outlet from which the valve K is to divert the flowing ofgrain; and O, a register or counter of any suitable character to beactuated at each tipping or al ternate tipping of the scale-beam.

Let the ball or balls E be of such weight as when at one end of thetrough to just counterbalance the measuring-vessel to beused when thatmeasuring vessel contains the exact amount of grain which is toconstitute the unit of countto be employed in the apparatus, or tocounterbalance the same when there is an empty measuring-vessel in theopposite scalepan. 1

The operation is as follows: Set a measuringvessel in each scale-pan.Press down, say, the righthand end of the scale-beam. The ball or ballsE will roll to the right-hand end of the trough, and the scale-beam willremain firmly in the tipped position with the scale-pan B and itscontained measuring-vesselin an elevated position. The valve K will havebeen pulled over from the right, thus diverting the entire flow of grainto the outlet H, which will be open. into the elevated measuring-vessel.When the unit amount of grain has run into this measuring-vessel, itwill put the scale-beam in equilibrium, and the scale beam will tip intoa level position, the grain continuing to flow. The instant the measureof grain preponderates Grain will flow from the outlet H IOO theleft-hand end of the scale-beam will tend to sink and the ball or ballsE will instantly roll to the lefthand end of the trough. This causes aninstantaneous and very decided preponderance at the left-hand end of thescalebeam, and as a consequence the left-hand end of the scale-beamsharply drops. This dr0p ping motion first pulls the left-hand cordstaut and then tips the cut-off L, so as to sharply cut off the flow ofgrain from the outlet H, and at the same time the valve K is pulled overto the left, thus completely cutting off the lefthand outlet of thespout and diverting the entire flow of grain to the right, a certainamount of grain becoming imprisoned at the left-hand side of the spoutbetween the valve and the cutoff. The grain now flows from the righthandoutlet, J',into the measuring-vessel in the right-hand scale-pan, O, thecut-off L having opened the outlet J when it closed the outlet H. Whilethe grain is 'flowing into the new measuring-vessel thepreviously-filled measuring-vessel is removed from the lefthand scalepanand emptied and then replaced. The removalof this measure full of grainhas no tendency to disturb the position of the scale-beam unless theremoval be deferred until such late ti me as the new measuring-vesselmay be nearly filled.

The proper account or tally of measures of grain removed may be keptinany way desired; but it is preferable'to attach a counting-register tothe apparatus, so as to automatically indicate the number of times thescale-beam has tipped.

I claim as my invention- In a grain-weighing apparatus, the combinationof a pivoted scale-beam, a pair of scalepans supported thereby andadapted to receive measuringvessels, a trough upon the Scalebeam adaptedto receive one or more rolling scale-weights, a spout arranged to conveya stream of grain toward the apparatus and provided with two outletsadapted to discharge, respectively, over the scalepans, a cutoil fittedto close alternately said two outlets, a valve in said spout arranged todirect the How of grain in said spout alternately to either ofsaidoutlets, and cords or analogous connections attached to the scale-beamand to said valve and cut-off and arranged to operate the valve andcut-off as the scale'beam tips, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

JAMES PEPPER.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. H. HEWARD, O. H. P. HEWARD.

